Winding machine having a plurality of winding spindles



w. SIEGENTHAL ER 2,316,462 WINDING MACHINE HAVING A PLURAL-ITY 0N WINDING SPINDLES.

April 13,1943.

File d Dec. 14, 1939 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 13, 1943. r w. SlEGE NTHA LE R 2,316,462

WINDING MACHINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF WINDING S PIND LES Filed Dec. 1 1, '1939 s Sheets-Sheet 2 April 13, 1943. w, SIEGENTHALER WINDING MACHINE HAVING A PLURALI'IY OF WINDING SPINDLES Filed Dec. 14. 1959 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTYE- Patented Apr. 13, 1943 WINDING MACHINE HAVING A PLURALITY OF WINDING SPINDLES Walter Siegenthaler, Erlenbach, near Zurich,

Switzerland, assignor to the firm Maschinenfabrik Schiirer, Erlenbach-Zurich, Switzerland Application December 14, 1939, Serial No. 309,295 In Switzerland February 25, 1939 6 Claims.

g each step a further winding spindle to a driving spindle, driving engagement being established between the driving spindle and the winding spindle by relative axial displacement of the two spindles, the displacement being, advantageously,

effected by automatically axially displacing the driving spindle.

In this arrangement the rotatable supporting member may be provided with a considerable number of winding spindles, which, obviously, must each be equipped with a cop tube or an empty bobbin prematurely, that is, priorto the arrival of the respective winding spindle at the driving spindle, so that the rotatable supporting member provides so to speak a bobbin magazine of a correspondingly large size, This provision dispenses with the arrangement of an automatically operating auxiliary device for the exchange of full bobbins or cop tubes for empty bobbins or cop tubes on the winding spindles, whereby the construction of the machine is simplified without impairing the high efliciency.

In the accompanying drawings two embodiments of the invention are illustratively exemplified, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a sectional elevation of a first embodiment;

Fig. 2 is an axial section through the bearing of a winding spindle on a larger scale, and

Fig. 3 shows a front elevation.

Figs. 4 and 5 each show a sectional elevation of a second embodiment of the invention, the driving spindle being released in Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 shows a front elevation, and

' Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the machine cas- Figs. 8 and 9 are elevations of the embodiment of Figs. 4 to 7 showing various positions of the unilaterally operating carrier coupling; and

Fig. 10 shows an axial section through the driving head coupling on an enlarged scale.

The drawings are restricted to the parts absolutely necessary for explaining the invention.

The reference character A designates the machine casing in which the driving spindle 2 is mounted which is continually driven during the operation of the machine by means of a belt pulley 3. On a shaft 4 also mounted in the casing A a cam disc 5 is carried for periodically rocking, through an intervening guide roller 6', a lever B mounted on a pivot l and coupled to the driving spindle 2. The driving spindle 2 is acted upon by a coil spring 8 by the effort of which the lever 6 is urged against the periphery of the cam disc 5. When the cam disc 5 is in the position as shown, a driving head 9 on the driving spindle 2 is in frictional engagement with a disc l0 whereby the winding spindle I provided with the disc I0 is coupled to the driving spindle 2.

The winding spindle l is threadedly connected with a spindle II which constitutes an extension of the winding spindle and serves for the reception of an empty bobbin or cop tube. The winding spindle l is further threadedly connected with a sleeve I2 extending coaxially therewith. The winding spindle l is mounted by means of a ball bearing 13 in a mounting sleeve M which is fastened to a disc l5 carrying a circumferential rim. The sleeve l2 serves for closing the end of the mounting sleeve I 4 facing toward the spindle II as well as for shielding the inner end of the spindle H and also the adjacent end of the tube to be wound pushed in position on this spindle, if desired. The disc l5 which is mounted on a shaft [6 constitutes a rotatable supporting member for carrying, for example, nine winding spindles I, i. e., l I, arrayed in a circular row.

This disc [5 is automatically fed by one step, by means known per se (not shown), each time after the completion of a bobbin winding I 7 having been produced by means of the winding spindle I being then coupled to the driving spindle 2, and after this coupling engagement has been released, so that the winding spindle next following in the row is supplied into coaxial position with the driving spindle 2 and is then coupled to the latter. Prior to the feeding of the disc l5 the driving spindle 2 is axially shifted by the lever 6 against the influence of the coil spring 8 so that the driving head 9 is moved out of the range of the friction coupling disc [6, as indicated in chain-dotted lines in Fig. 2, whereupon the winding spindle I having previously been driven is released from coupling engagement and is thus free to be fed by one step together with the disc l5.

After the disc 15 has moved a further winding spindle I into winding position the driving spindle 2 is automatically shifted, by means of the associated control means, toward this winding spindle which then enters into coupling engagement with the driving spindle 2, and so forth. The rotational movement of the driving spindle is not interrupted at any time during the releasing of the winding spindle being in the winding position from coupling engagement, that is, during the exchanging of winding spindles at the winding position. In the course of this exchanging of winding spindles the winding thread is passed over from the full bobbin to the empty bobbin or cop tube, by appropriate means known per se, so that the winding operation is practically not discontinued. The finished windings are doffed from the spindles H and empty tubes are then donned on these spindles again.

Alternatively, the winding spindles may be provided with a head piece into which a bobbin can be inserted by means of a mating head piece. A counter holder may be provided for the reception of the free end of the spindle, that is, the associated bobbin, being in the winding position, in a manner known per se.

It is not essential for the driving spindle and the winding spindle moved into the winding position to be in coaxial relation.

In the second embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figs. 4 to '7, the lever B, pivoted on shaft 1, is engaged by a tension spring l8 so that this lever is urged against the cam disc 5 by means of the associated guide roller 6'. On the shaft 4 of the cam disc 5 a screw wheel I9 is rotatably arranged which is continually turned during the operation of the machine by means of a constantly turning worm shaft 20. A spring-loaded lever 2| is journaled on the right-hand side of the worm wheel H? (as viewed in Fig. '7) the said lever being provided with a clutch-like tooth facing shaft 4, said tooth being intended to engage in a recess on the periphery of shaft 4 which serves to form an abutment on the shaft.

Depending on the amount of winding effected, that is, on when the spool winding is finished, the clutch lever 2| is moved by auxiliary means, overcoming the spring force, so that its tooth is forced into the recess in the clutch shaft 4. The tooth of the clutch lever 2| is then caused to repose against the abutment constituted by the recess on the clutch shaft 4 whereupon the loose clutch lever 2| carried along by wheel l9 rotates the clutch shaft 4 one revolution whereupon the clutch lever 2| again becomes disengaged from the clutch shaft 4.

The throwing of the clutch lever 2| into its operative position is controlled by a feeler which engages the windings and which is gradually displaced as the cop builds up, such feelers being shown by many patents.

Together with each turn of the shaft 4 a slotted lever 22 secured to this shaft also performs a complete turn whereby a traversing bar adjustably connected to this lever reciprocates a slide which has the function to release a counter- ,holder of a known kind provided for the winding spindle being in the working position and to engage this holder again on the rotatable shaft 4 having completed its rotation. The winding feeler which is associated with a thread guide and serves for the building up of the cop or else only a thread guide is pushed away from the full bobbin simultaneously with the slide and is then pressed on the empty bobbin.

As the slide arrives in its initial position, when returning, it is automatically released from coupllng engagement with the traversing bar. Each time after the cam disc 5 has completed one turn a notch 5' in its periphery engages with the guide roller 6' on the lever 6 so that this lever is then secured in the corresponding position in which its upper end pressing against dog 23 on spindle 2 presses the driving spindle 2 to the left so that it frictionally engages with the respective winding spindle on the rotatable supporting member l5 and is thus driven for effecting the winding operation. Against a displacing dog 23 fixed on the driving spindle 2 bears the coil spring 8 at one end, the other end of this spring abutting against a set ring 24 secured to the driving spindle 2. In consequence thereof, the pressure action to which the driving spindle 2 is subjected in shifting in the direction toward the winding spindle I, under the influence of lever B acting on dog 23, is not rigid but resilient by virtue of which the coupling member 9 can be moved into coupling engagement smoothly, that is, gently. The notch 5' of the control disc 5 remains in engagement with the abutment roller 5 during the entire period that a spool is being wound. After the winding of the spool is terminated, the shaft 4, as stated above, makes one rotation after the clutch lever is thrown in. This rotation of the clutch shaft 4 is also partaken of by the control disc 5; during the rotation of the control disc 5 the rotary member I5 is advanced to the extent of one rotary displacement unit so as to cause the rotary member to bring a new winding spindle into coaxial position with the drive spindle 2. These winding spindles are then in the operative position, that is, in the winding position.

A wheel 25 having a circumferential cam groove 26 and being mounted on the shaft 4 rotates in unison with this shaft. This groove extends in one and the same plane along the most part of the circumference of this wheel and then merges with two steeply ascending terminal cam portions 26', 25", extending alongside of each other. One of these cam portions is diverted to the left and the other to the right side of the wheel as shown in Fig. 7. The cam carrier wheel 25 cooperates with a wheel 21 which to this end is provided on its circumference with a plurality of pegs 28 (which may be provided with rollers), thereby forming a toothed driving rim which intermeshes with the groove 26 of the cam carrier wheel 25. The wheel 21 is secured on a shaft I6 carrying the rotatable supporting member.

Each time the shaft 4 performs one rotation, the wheel 21 is advanced by one division of its toothed driving rim by cooperation of this rim with the cam portions 26, 26" of the groove 26 of the wheel 25. The rotational feed movement of the wheel 21 as transmitted by the shaft l6 to the rotatable supporting member l5 corresponds to one division of the winding spindles arrayed in a row on this member. The rotational feed movement of the rotatable supporting member l5 takes place only after the driving spindle 2 provided for the winding spindles I having extensions II is disconnected. After the rotatable supporting member l5 has been fed the driving spindle 2 is connected for driving the further winding spindle having arrived in the winding position in the meantime. The bobbin the winding of which had previously been completed and which is then moved out of the winding position is still carried by the respective winding spindle. In exchanging the winding spindles in regard to the winding position the winding thread passes from the full bobbinover to the empty bobbin. In the operationof the machine, when the feeler engaging a winding, in process of being wound, senses that the cop is sufficiently wound, the feeler shifts clutch lever 2| so that its tooth engages in the recess in shaft 4 and causes shaft 4 to rotate, whereupon cam 5 acting through lever B anddog 23 allows spring it to shift spindle 2 to the right disengaging driving head 9 from coupling disc it]. This permits disc i5 to be rotated and at this time cam groove 26 of wheel 25 acts on a peg 28- of wheel 21 to turn shaft l6 on which disc |5 is mounted through one step to bring the next empty cop and its coupling disc Ii! into position to be engaged by driving head 9. During this action the other end of the cop will befree of its support by the action of arm 22 acting through well known releasing devices. As the rotation of shaft 4 and cam 5 continues, lever 6 is pressed to the left thereby moving dog 23 and spindle 2 in the same direction and placing driving head 9 in driving engagement with the coupling disc H] of the empty cop spindle l.

This arrangement permits the rotational feeding of the rotatable supporting member carrying the winding spindles to be quickly effected, which is essential for the continuance of the winding operation. The time lapsing between the moment of disconnecting the driving spindle 2 from the winding spindle of the full bobbin and the moment of connecting the driving spindle 2 to the winding spindle of the empty bobbin newly moved into the winding position must be as short as possible. The reason for this is, that the thread, as is well known, must quickly reach the thread catch associated with the further bobbin to be wound from oil the bobbin still rotating (running out) about its axis by inherent live force in order to be wound on this bobbin having already been set in turning motion by which means the time required for the transfer of the thread from the full bobbin to the empty bobbin is accordingly shortened. This procedure permits the thread to be withdrawn uninterruptedly, which is essential for highly twisted yarns, and makes it possible to unwind the thread in perfect manner from flanged spools and cross wound spools. Naturally, provision must be made for disconnecting as well as for connecting the driving spindle 2 in an accordingly quick manner by appropriately constructing the cam disc 5 serving for this purpose.

Figs. 8, 9 and illustrate various positions of the coupling parts in operation. A designates the transmission housing in which is .iournaled the driving spindle 2 of the bobbin winding H which is shown in operative position. The shaft 4 carries the control cam disc 5 for periodically oscillating the lever 6 with its guide roller 5' for engagement in a notch 5' of the control disc 5 for the purpose of securing the lever B in its position when the driving coupling 9. I5, Figs. 2 and 4, for the shaft 2 is in engaged position.

The wormwheel I9 is rotatably disposed on shaft 4 and is constantly rotated by the worm shaft 20. The coupling lever 2| is carried by means of screw 3|] on a disc 3| rigidly disposed on the shaft 4. A retractile spring 32 serves to pull the coupling lever 2| in a direction against the hub of the wormwheel is, said wheel having a notch for engaging a tooth 2| provided on the coupling lever 2|.

According to Fig. '8, the free end of the coupling lever 2| strikes against a rod 33 thus serv ing to hold the tooth 2| separated from the hub of the wormwheel H]. An abutment 34 is provided on the rod 33 that is displaceably guided in the casing A. An abutment 35 may be provided to cooperate therewith, the same being disposed on a housing 36 in which the feeler 3'! is journaled and which cooperates with the wind- 10 portion as the cop builds up.

Fig. -9 shows that when the winding feeler 31 'has been pushed forward sufficiently as a result of a corresponding increase in size of the cop, its abutment 35 will encounter the abutment 34. As a result, the rod 36 will be axially displaced, out of the position shown in Fig. 8 into that of Fig. 9, so that this rod 33 will release the couplin lever 2|, the tooth 2| of which will then be thrust into the path of rotation of the hub of the wormwheel l9. As a result, the disc 3| will become associated in coupled relation with the wormwheel l9 and will then make one revolution, and the control disc 5 will do the same through agency of shaft 4. In the meantime the rod 33 will have been moved back into its normal position through agency of the means used for driving the machine and through intermediary of instrumentalities that are not illustrated in the drawing. As a result, the coupling lever 2| will strike the rod 33 when the shaft 4 completes its revolution and will be swung away from the hub of the wormwheel l9 to such an extent that the coupling tooth 2| will be disengaged from the wormwheel l9, thus causing the unilaterally acting coupling to be thrown out of action.

What I claim is:

1. In a winding machine, a driving mechanism including a rotary, axially movable driving spindle; a housing for said driving mechanism; a carrier member disposed exteriorly of said housing and carrying a plurality of winding spindles; means for rotating said carrier member intermittently stepwise in response to the size of the winding in process of being wound, whereby the winding spindles are brought one after another into coaxial relation with said driving spindle; said driving spindle having a coupling member and each winding spindle having a counter coupling member; and means for axially displacing said driving spindle and its coupling member in response to the size of the winding to allow said winding spindle carrier member to be moved stepwise.

2. A winding machine in accordance with claim 1 and in which the means for rotating said carrier member stepwise includes a clutch shaft and a clutch for applying rotary motion to said clutch shaft, and means for transmitting the rotary motion of said clutch shaft to the winding spindle carrier to rotate said carrier stepwise.

3. A winding machine in accordance with claim 1 and in which the means for rotating said carrier member stepwise includes a clutch shaft and a clutch for applying rotary motion to said clutch shaft; means including a cam wheel, and a peg wheel having a plurality of radiating pegs engaging the cam wheel sequentially so as to be rotated through part of a rotation by each engagement of a peg with said cam wheel; and means for transmitting the motion of said peg wheel to said winding spindle carrier to rotate said carrier stepwise.

4. A winding machine in accordance with claim 1 and in which the means for rotating said carrier member stepwise includes a clutch shaft and a clutch for applying rotary motion to said clutch shaft; means including a cam wheel having its periphery formed with a pathway extending around said wheel with portions of said pathway providing adjacent, oppositely directed camways, and a peg wheel having a. plurality of radiating pegs engaging in the pathway of said cam wheel sequentially so as to be rotated through part of a rotation by each engagement of a peg with said cam wheel; and means for transmitting the motion of said peg wheel to said winding spindle carrier to rotate said carrier stepwise.

5. A winding machine in accordance with claim 1 and in which the means for rotating said carrier member stepwise includes a clutch shaft and a clutch for applying rotary motion to said clutch shaft; means including a cam wheel having its periphery formed with a cam groove extending around said wheel with portions of said groove providing adjacent, oppositely directed cam-ways and a peg wheel having a plurality of radiating pegs engaging in the pathway of said cam wheel sequentially so as to be rotated through part of a rotation by each engagement of a peg with said cam wheel; and means for transmitting the motion of said peg wheel to said winding spindle carrier to rotate said carrier stepwise.

6. A winding machine in accordance with claim 1 and in which the means for rotating said carrier member stepwise includes a clutch shaft and a clutch for applying rotary motion to said clutch shaft; means including a cam wheel mounted on said clutch shaft, and a peg wheel having a plurality of radiating pegs engaging the cam wheel sequentially so as to be rotated through part of a rotation by each engagement of a peg with said cam wheel; means for transmitting the motion of said peg wheel to said winding spindle carrier to rotate said carrier stepwise; and the means for axially displacing the driving spindle including a control cam disc mounted on said clutch shaft.

WALTER SIEGEN'I'HALER. 

